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The paper stated that Murkowski “doesn’t think the debt limit should be used for political leverage,” but the paper did not quote her directly beyond that on the subject matter. A Murkowski spokesperson confirmed that the story was accurate to POLITICO on Tuesday.

Murkowski told the paper that she hopes the ongoing fiscal debate, which she dubbed “Son of Fiscal Cliff,” would be more transparent than the last congressional fiscal debate.

“You really did feel like a mushroom in the dark,” she told the paper. “It was not a good process.”

Top Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), have maintained that they want to use cutting government spending during the looming raising of the debt ceiling negotiations, which President Barack Obama and the Democrats say they oppose including.

Outgoing U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said that the U.S. will hit the debt ceiling between mid-February and early March.